Every Knee Will Bow and Every Tongue Will Confess
by Farina's Pegasus
Summary: The final battle, between the prince and princess of Valentia, looms ahead. They and their comrades stand against Duma, his right hand Jedah, and an army of foul monsters. There will be no survivors.


**This has been sitting on my tablet for a few months. I meant to edit it more and polish it up fully before posting, but, I decided to just post it now, I feel like I'm not making any more progress. I apologize for the rougher quality, particularly after the opening.**

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In front of Alm and his allies stood the last door of Duma Temple. The light of oily bonfires cast his flickering silhouette on the walls, and behind him, the boy could hear the growling of beasts. If his company lingered, they risked another attack, and yet the idea of moving forward felt premature. Standing tall and straight, Alm faced his companions- the survivors of the many bloody battles that had begun months before.

"All of you…" Alm said, "my friends and comrades…" he lowered his head, fumbling for words. What could he say when Duma could easily kill them all?

"You needn't give a speech, Alm. We all know what we face now."

It was Celica who spoke, and Alm smiled in gratitude. As the prince surveyed the faces of his army, he couldn't see fear, only resolve. At the front, Mathilda and Clive stood astride their horses and nodded grimly at each other. Gray nearly shouted something, but Kliff dug him in the ribs and he contended with punching the air, narrowly missing Tobin's face. Lukas stood taller behind them, composed, almost detached. Whispering next to them, Clair raised her eyebrows when Faye shivered, but the girl shook her head and met Alm's gaze with her familiar fondness- and for once, Alm felt a sense of comfort by it. If only for him, he had faith that his friends would carry through.

Closer to the back were the remains of Celica's company. Genny's hand was in Sonya's, who gave her a look not unlike that of a mother reassuring her daughter. Next to the pair, Mae wore an enthused grin and Boey rolled his eyes when she whispered something into his ear, but returned her smile. Catria was glancing warily behind herself anytime there was a noise behind the army, but neither of her sisters seemed as nervous. At the rear was Saber, leaning on his sword in a posture that belied his strength, and Conrad was on his white horse next to him, unmasked and unsmiling.

"Everyone…" Alm continued, "for how dangers we've overcome, for the sacrifices we've made, thank you. I couldn't have done it without every one of you, and if there's any good to come from this senseless bloodshed, it's the friends I've made."

A subdued cheer met these words, some members of the army clearly suppressing urges to shout and applaud. Heartened, Alm continued after they quieted.

"You all know what waits behind these doors. A fell god threatens our entire continent, if not the universe itself. I know we've already lost many along the way. Were there any other way to resolve this, friends and comrades, I would have taken it with open arms. But if I lose any of you…"

Alm trailed off, and now Celica had nothing to add for comfort. The prince couldn't get the sudden images of his father and fallen cousin out of his head, their bodies tattered and bloodied, and then once more Alm could see Celica's lifeless body in his arms. He shut his eyes and clenched the blade of his sword as if to steady himself.

"We understand," Mathilda finished for him, and her husband added, "We know very well that all of us aren't going to make it back home, Alm. But if there is a greater cause to die for, I can't imagine it."

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Clive," Gray emphasized, "C'mon, don't get all doom and gloom now, Alm, we're right at the finish line. We go in, show Duma and his crony the what-for, and then everything's back to normal."

A murmur ran through the crowd, and Mae was quick to add, "You said it, who's ready to punch things and take names? Oh, just think about how awesome life's gonna be once we're all heroes! They'll be telling stories about us for like, ever! Sounds pretty great, doesn't it, Boey?"

"It's a bit early to be thinking that far ahead, Mae. Still, you've got a point. That should at least give you motivation not to trip over your own feet once we arrive."

Several of the army laughed at this, Celica in particular. The sound loosened the knot in Alm's chest as he remembered who they all were- his childhood friends, and their allies. Surely, there was no one else who could oppose Duma.

"We've made it all the way from our village, we can get through anything together!" Tobin was saying, and his was followed by Kliff's comment, "It's only right that we rid the world of Duma and his minions. Plus… I think I'd enjoy a bit of revenge for how much he's made us suffer. He tried to turn you into a witch, didn't he, Celica?"

Celica's eyelids flickered, and her brother called from the back, "Hold on. If my sister really was transformed into an evil being… why is she standing here now? Alm, what happened when you found her?"

"I can't say for sure," Alm admitted, shuddering at the memory, "but it must have been the Mother, Mila. Her body was sealed in the chamber, so she must have used whatever was left of her power to bring Celica back."

There were gasps of surprise, but Alm knew that none of the army would blame him. Half of them had expected him to bring back Celica's body when he returned, after all.

"Then we're the really the last hope of Valentia," Lukas observed out loud, "Mila wouldn't have the strength to fight now. But the Falchion, Alm, it has the power to slay Duma. I don't think any of us would be able to take him down, so as such, you must lead the charge."

"Precisely!" Clair said, "leave Jedah and his foul ilk to us, Alm. You needn't dirty your hands slaying such wretched creatures, anyway."

"And don't you DARE be a hero!"

This was from Faye, but as a few heads turned in her direction, she amended, "I mean, I'll stay close to you, so I can heal you right away if you get hurt!"

"Thank you, Faye," Alm answered, and she blushed and looked away. By now, everyone was growing impatient, with feet shuffling and sweat forming in clenched palms, and Alm closed his eyes for one more moment, rallying himself with a silent prayer to Mila.

"Everyone! Follow my lead, and together, we'll save Valentia!"

An uproarious cheer followed that could have been heard from Zofia Castle's bottom floor. With a mighty thrust, Alm opened the vast doors and the army poured as one into the cavern. Alm and Celica were at its head, and the finest soldiers of Valentia were behind, and the air was full of the noises of swords unsheathing, the pounding of hooves and the hum of magic.

Watching the arrival was the looming figure of Jedah, standing taller than any normal human. Just behind him was the dread monster of legend. Duma had known of the army long before they reached his domain. The aged dragon's twisted wings touched the roof of the cave, his heavy head hanging low to the ground, tongue slipping out between fangs as tall as small humans. The twin slits along his face were closed and sightless, but a bulging red eye sat in the middle of the god's forehead, and fixed the intruders in light the color of blood. The god intoned in a voice more menacing than a bolt of thunder, shaking small bits of stone from the ceiling:

"ONLY POWER HOLDS MEANING. ONLY STRENGTH HOLDS SWAY. CALL TO ME. THIRST FOR ME. THIRST FOR POWER. THIRST FOR BLOOD… COME TO ME, HUMANS, AND DIE LIKE THE REST. YOUR BLOOD AND BODIES WILL QUENCH MY SERVANTS."

And in front of the vast, decaying dragon, Jedah pointed a clawed finger at the intruders. "You will all die here, every one of you damnable heretics! I only hope that the last words you utter will be curses on the boy who led you here, the one who dared to conceit that he could defeat Lord Duma!"

A pale blue light formed above Jedah, threatening to blind those who looked at it, and then an intense rumble shook the ground. The younger members of the army lost their footing- when Alm looked back, he saw Est being helped back to her horse by her sisters- but the true horror was yet to come. Alm's eyes flew wide as the true power of Duma was revealed.

"Come to me, my subjects!" Jedah shouted, a hailstorm of pebbles crashing into the mud, "rid us of these insects that dare to disrupt our great plans!"

And as the light faded, there were Terrors surrounding the army, more than the imagination could number. Shambling human corpses crawled out of the swamp and bared their broken teeth, gargoyles descended from the ceiling and raised blood-stained scythes, Mogall materialized from thin air and wobbled in the dim light as they sought living flesh. There were even the terrifying shrieks of Necrodragons in the mass of bodies.

"There may be many of them," Alm shouted to his qualing fellows, "but they're weaker and slower than us! All of you, CHARGE!"

And Celica added in an even louder shout, "One monster or a thousand, it doesn't matter! Our army is good and strong, and guided by Mila!"

The pandemonium was instantaneous. A small force of humans ran headlong into a wall of monsters. Blades slashed, lances impaled, magic crackled and started small fires. No one could plan or focus; everything was wild and in the moment and life or death. It was difficult for Alm to even see Jedah or Duma as Terror after Terror took the places of the one he cut down, and next to him, Celica fared no better even though her holy magic could fell anything instantly.

Not far away, Mae and Boey had attempted to follow the two in the lead, but Saber had grabbed Mae by the shoulder and hurled her aside, shouting, "Are you daft, woman? Stay behind me! If I don't have you to back me up, I can't count on clearing a path for Alm!"

"But you can't handle them all yourself!" Boey protested, and his argument was cut off as a clawed fist descended from thin air and scratched a hole in his cloak. He could barely free himself in time to see Saber slashing at a roaring, writhing Necrodragon, then the beast reared and dropped its full weight on the man. The jaws closed around his throat and Boey ran with Mae at his heels. They knew there was nothing they could do now. Fatal injuries could not be treated with ordinary magic.

"Saber!" Mae screamed, but Boey pulled her away, "We have to stay behind everyone, Mae! We need to heal everyone… Come on! We can use our magic to make a barrier!"

Close to them, Genny, who had been so scared by the wave of horrors that she was frozen, could only put up her hands and scream as a Gargoyle lunged forwards, its face twisted with what in some reality was a smile. Then someone pushed Genny aside as the blade sank into her heart.

"No! Sonya…! Somebody, help me!"

Dead on her feet, Sonya crumpled in a growing pool of red, and Genny was so overcome that her friend's sacrifice was in vain. Another foul creature reared behind the stricken Genny and dealt her a blow that was merciful in its swiftness. Her final scream was too distant to reach Alm at Celica at the head of the army.

The fell god had not moved yet, watching his own army tear the opposition to pieces. Duma's great jaws cracked open as he spoke again, his roars deafening even in the noise of slaughter.

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH ME. MY SERVANTS WILL DISPATCH YOU ALL TO HELL, AND I WILL RISE AGAIN, AND ALL OF VALENTIA SHALL RETURN TO ME."

Alm couldn't hear what the god was saying. He could do nothing but move forwards, striking whatever was in his path. When Celica stumbled and Alm bent down to help her up, he saw that she had coughed a mouthful of blood onto the ground. She must not have been restored to her full strength after his sword had killed her once, that was beyond even Mila's power.

"Are you alright?" Alm said, momentarily forgetting about the battle, but Celica didn't speak as she stood back up, trembling and shaking her head. A shadow fell over the pair and an inhuman growl struck fear into their hearts-

"Alm! Celica! Let me take care of it!"

It was Gray who swept them aside, who thrust himself in front of them as a Titan raised its hammer. The blow that came crashing down on Gray's shoulder sent him to his knees, but Alm and Celica had enough time to and run again before the second blow snuffed out another life.

Not far ahead, Jedah was barely visible in the tangle of the three pegasus sisters. Ignoring the blows from the surrounding mogall, the three had performed a triangle attack after warding off his accursed shield. Defeated, but not dead, Jedah's cowering form faded from view as Alm and Celica kept on, but they both saw Est fall to the ground with her eyes closed.

"Est! Est, speak to me!" Catria begged, cradling her sister's face in her arms. A throng of Mogall were nearby, surrounding the sisters in a menacing ring.

"We have to keep going, Catria!" Palla was saying, though her eyes were sparkling with tears. "We can't give up here, or we'll never survive…"

Celica had resolved not to pull herself away from the charge, but the sight of Catria triggered something within her. She rushed to her ally's side and placed her glowing hands on Est's shoulders, and her many wounds began to knit, but there was no life left in the battered body. Around the scene, the wounded pegasi were kicking and rearing at the approaching Mogall, but they were vastly outnumbered and the Terrors were winning.

Every muscle in Alm's body told him to protect the living sisters while Celica used all her power to attempt to revive Est, but he couldn't turn away now. Clive and Mathilda were the only ones he could see behind him in the writhing crowd of decayed bodies and desperately struggling live ones, and Duma was far away, unmoving except for the rattle in his chest as he laughed at the failure of humans.

"I MUST THANK YOU," the god said, his revolving eyeball lingering on Alm, "YOU HAVE BROUGHT EVERYONE I MUST BE RID OF INTO ONE PLACE. YOU HAVE SAVED ME MUCH TROUBLE, BOY. I SHALL RESOLVE TO MAKE YOUR END SWIFT."

Then a much smaller voice cut through the bellows- "Alm! Celica! I need help, I can't move!"

It was Faye, only a dozen feet away, trying to ward off two of the largest Entombeds Alm had ever seen. He gasped when he realized that Faye's clothes were soaking wet from the swamp, and understood as one of the monsters stood up in the water, grabbed the girl's arm in its cruel claws and dragged her screaming into the pit.

Celica couldn't watch anyone else die. With her eyes streaming, she hurled a ball of golden magic at the monsters. They scattered just long enough for Celica to grab Faye's hand and pull her to safety. She felt the briefest flash of relief as Faye coughed violently and stood shakily up, but Celica could see now that the front of her chest was a scarlet stain that only slightly shrank as Celica healed her.

Another scream faded in Alm's ears as the first tears started to flow in his eyes. It was Palla, who died with a gargoyle's blade in her back as she stood over her sisters. Catria was prostrate and immobile with grief, and did not resist as a bloated mogall slammed its body into her chest, breaking every rib and leaving her coughing vainly on the ground, her hand still clutching Est's.

_This isn't a battle. _That was all Alm could think as he tore his eyes away from them. _It's a slaughter._

Closer to the foulest horror, Celica knew she had to leave Faye. There was no other option with death all around her. And yet, she did not begin to move until Faye pushed her out of the arms of a staggering revenant that returned to drag Faye into the water. And Celica, weakened and breathing shallowly, wanted nothing more than to surrender to grief and stay there, let something kill her quickly, so she could join her friends faster in the afterlife.

Her tear-filled eyes looked back at the helplessness of it all. Mathilda and Clive were slashing and stabbing at an endless wall of decayed flesh and claws, but behind them, she could faintly see a figure crumble to the ground with an arrow through its chest. The shock of white hair must have been Kliff. A makeshift barrier crafted by Mae and Boey had offered the back of the army some protection, but the Terrors had been too numerous to be subdued. The mages were alive, but too weak to heal anyone, let alone themselves, and they huddled in a shaking heap together as they watched their friends die, hands held, arms around each other.

"We did our best," Mae said in the weakest voice she'd ever had, and the same Necrodragon that had killed Saber turned its sightless eyes to her. She closed her eyes and her hand tightened around Boey's as bloodied fangs pierced her armor like paper.

Again, Duma's voice rattled in the ears of those still living as he raised his head- "YOU CLING TO LIFE WITH SUCH TENACITY, BUT YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEARTS THAT HOPE HAS ABANDONED YOU. DIE, ALL OF YOU."

The eye on Duma's head glowed with a scarlet radiance, not unlike that which had revived Celica earlier. Alm stopped to a dead halt and covered his eyes, and then once more the ground rumbled more severely than before. All who were standing fell. Mathilda and Clive's horses whinnied in panic and trotted in the direction that the army had come. And then as the swamps bubbled as if boiling, a grey mist rose from the ground. It was Duma's secret weapon, a poison that hated the living.

In less than a minute no one was left standing. Tobin lay face-down in the dirt as Lukas shook his shoulders, before collapsing himself as the mist thickened, his coughs fading to faint wheezes. Clive held Mathilda above the muck for a moment before they were both motionless. And closer to Alm, Celica joined the rest of the army in a spitting, convulsing spasm, supporting herself by her hands as she heaved more blood onto the ground. The poison was dissolving her lungs.

"Celica! NO!"

Alm couldn't keep going when he saw Celica collapse. The mist was thinning as quickly as it had come, and Celica's coughs grew fainter as Alm pulled her from the muddy ground, calling for Faye, Genny, somebody. He didn't realize yet that all of their healers were slain by now. Duma's monsters had been sure to kill them first.

"Go… on!" Celica heaved several times as more foaming blood hit the ground. "Leave me here… Use my last strength… clear a path… for you!"

And Alm protested as she tried to stand, "No! Celica, don't move… I'm not leaving this chamber without you! I've lost you once, I won't lose you again!"

But when Alm brushed the tears from his eyes, he couldn't see a standing person in the chamber. There were only bodies. The pegasus sisters lay where they had fallen, hidden underneath a shroud of writing Mogall. Mathilda and Clive were several feet away, their horses lamed and useless, Clive holding his wife as she struggled to breathe, too weak to find a place with fresh air. Faye's body lay halfway in the swamp, slowly being dragged below. The crowd of Terrors had thinned, but all around, everywhere, there was blood and bodies. Not a truly living thing moved behind Alm or Celica.

And then, the cave was briefly lit up in a blaze, the creatures cowered and shriveled in front of Duma, exposing a clear path for Alm to deal the blow. He hesitated for a heartbeat, wanting nothing more than to kneel with Celica in his arms and treat her wounds, but there was no time. Duma could create monsters faster than the army could kill them. Now, nothing stood between Alm and the nemesis of the continent, if not the universe itself.

He spared one moment to catch Celica as she fell, the bottom of her dress torn off and the remaining fabric saturated with blood. The Beloved Zofia had fallen from her hands long ago. Alm lowered her to the ground gently, ceremoniously, speaking into her dying ear, "Rest now, Celica. Duma's going to be destroyed, and our world will be restored. All of us, we'll be back together, safe, forever. And I'll be waiting for you there."

Celica died with a smile on her face, stretching out on the blood-soaked mud as if it were a blanket as Alm kissed her forehead. Her grip slackened as her eyes grew glassy and clouded, and Alm passed his hand over them so she would rest peacefully. Slowly, he faced Duma with a strange, impassive expression. The god had been expecting something more lively when the boy's lover was killed for a second time in front of his eyes.

"By the blood of my friends, you will pay, Duma."

The dragon's throat rumbled in a mockery of laughter. Stretching his jaws wide, bathing Alm in a hot wave of decayed air, he roared, "SUCH IMPUDENCE, YOU ACURSED WRTECH OF MILA! YOU WOULD DEIGN TO STAND IN MY WAY?"

Alm said nothing. Celica was dead, and now beyond Mila's help to revive her. Everyone else was behind him, lifeless, or so horribly maimed that they would be torn limb from limb by the hellish horde. Looking Duma in the eye, Alm ripped the shield from his arms and threw it aside. It would only wear him down.

"Die!"

With a charge and an almighty leap, Alm landed on Duma's head. As the twisted creature's eye rolled upwards, the Falchion stabbed it to the hilt. The monster roared in shock and anger, thrashing his head and flinging the prince many feet away, where he slammed into the wall on his back. Dazed, spitting blood, Alm's eyes opened just before Duma's clawed hand came crashing down on the Falchion, and it splintered like glass.

"PAH! NOT EVEN MILA'S POWER CAN CLEAVE MY FLESH. SUCH FOOLISHNESS CAN ONLY BE REWARDED WITH DEATH."

Now, Duma advanced for the first time, pulling himself with his claws. His bloody eyeball rolled wildly, the grisly image reflected in the scattered fragments of the sacred blade. Alm instinctively rose to his feet, preparing to run more- and then a jolt of agony forced him back down with a cry. His leg had been broken in the impact. He could only watch as Duma's shadow grew taller and taller.

"ONCE I KILL YOU, A BOY WITHOUT A BLADE, VALENTIA'S LAST HOPE, THE WHOLE WORLD WILL BE IN MY CLAWS ONCE AGAIN."

Alm could not weep. He stared at the creature with no expression, save his mouth contorting in pain as the wounds on his body made themselves apparent. He had not realized until now how much blood he had lost.

"EVERY KNEE WILL BOW. EVERY MOUTH WILL CONFESS ME AS THEIR LORD, AS THEIR MASTER. I WILL HAVE SERVANTS AND DEVOTEES IN EVERY CORNER OF THE LAND."

The world began to swirl, the corners of Alm's eyes started to blur. With pain or tears, he could not tell. It didn't matter. Everything was growing faint. The dread jaws opened, leaning in slowly, slaver from the fangs falling onto Alm's broken leg. The boy closed his eyes, and his mouth soundlessly formed a prayer.

_Mila, save me. _

'BUT I SHALL KEEP MY PROMISE. YOU WILL DIE QUICKLY. AND YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED IN MY NEW WORLD AS THE FALLEN HERO. YOUR NAME WILL BE WRITTEN IN LEGEND, ALM. DIE WITH THAT FUTURE IN YOUR EYES."

The mass of flesh shifted, and with one swift motion, a decaying fang rent the armor on Alm's chest. He had no time to feel pain. The broken Turnwheel fell from Alm's outstretched arm and shattered, the noise echoing far away.

Victorious, Duma raises his bloodied head and shouted victory to his subjects, and they took up the cry with unearthly cries, shrieks and laughter. The demon and his army had won, and now there was nothing left between them and the world that they had always sought to rule. Hope was, like the battered bodies scattered in the cavern of despairing finality, dead.

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**This isn't really the kind of content that I want to write about Echoes. I drafted this on a whim in like, two hours when I was feeling bad. I only decided to post the end result here because, well, I figured maybe some people might enjoy it. **

**But if you want something else, and I totally understand if you do, I'm also currently working on a much more light-hearted Echoes Modern AU fic. I haven't gotten a whole lot of it done yet, but it's been so much more enjoyable to write and I hope it'll be half as enjoyable to read.**


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